Darkest Before Dawn
by Jocasta Silver
Summary: Because friends are there to support you when you need them the most. One-shot. Major Fiery Heart spoilers.


Author's Note: I got this idea after reading _The Fiery Heart_, so I decided to post it. It contains some of my theories of what will happen in _Silver Shadows_. I was also partially inspired by the song "When the Darkness Comes" by Colbie Caillat, which for me really showed Adrian and Sydney's relationship well.

Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead, therefore I don't own _Vampire Academy _or _Bloodlines_.

Warning: There are major _Fiery Heart _spoilers in this fic. Don't read, if you don't want to be spoiled.

Darkest Before Dawn

"_It is always darkest just before the day dawneth."_-Thomas Fuller

She materialized in front of Spencer's just as he was downing his third cup of espresso. He actually was starting to understand why Sage struggled to give up the habit; the caffeine gave him an energetic burst that was better than a spirit high. Several guys ought right checked her out, and Adrian could hardly blame them. With her dark, brown-almost black-hair and athletic frame Rose Hathaway looked hot. However, that beauty no longer brought the hungry pang and fire it once had. Now, it was barely a noteworthy thing.

She actually looked nervous, and he could hardly blame considering his erratic behavior to her post-break up. She unwound a scarlet scarf, and draped it on the chair before sitting down. "So, what can I do for you?"

He chuckled lightly, but the sound came out chocked to him. After Sydney, he could not laugh or smile. It was as if she had taken the sun and all lovely things dimmed in her absence. "Why is that the first thing you say, Rose? Why no 'hi, how are you?', or 'what's up, Adrian?' I mean I know were not exactly on the best of terms, but still."

She shrugged. "Maybe it was how frantic you sounded over the phone, or the fact that the old man randomly hands me this piece of paper, and hints I'm supposed to hand it to you. Honestly, if that's not suspicious than I don't know what is."

Admittedly, Rose was no rocket scientist, but she wasn't a complete idiot either. Having Abe, who was rumored to have his hands in various illegal schemes, order her to deliver the data was suspicious, but they both agreed that a clandestine meeting between the two of us would be a far more suspicious to the Alchemists than a heart-to-heart to with his ex-girlfriend.

Not to mentioned his own need for a long overdue chat on certain subjects. "Yeah, you're right there is some stuff I need to talk to you about. Actually, there are some hard questions I need to ask, or I'm going to go crazy-well more crazy than usual."

Rose seemed to weigh her options, before responding, as if he were a dangerous nuclear missile that could explode all over her in a second. "Look Adrian, can you please not play games and spit out what you're burning to say. You know I have to get back to Court to protect Lissa."

"How did you do it?" he asked pointblank. "How the hell did you bring yourself to go after Belikov in Russia, knowing you would kill him permanently?"

She flinched slightly; the topic is definitely one she doesn't relish exploring, not that he could blame her. He cannot imagine that after he rescues Sydney (he has to believe that he can and will save her) that these moments are ones he'll enjoy visiting either.

"I just focused on the goal and made whatever sacrifices I had to in order to achieve that goal," she stated simply. "The fact that I had people who cared about me and wanted me to live helped. Your spirit dreams helped more than I'd like to admit."

That brings out the first genuine smile that has graced his face since he lost Sydney. "Glad to know I was an excellent life line. So, and we're talking hypothetically here, what if I were epically in love with someone, it defied all the rules, but it still made sense for us to be together, and now they're in trouble, and only I can save them?"

"You're not in love with Jill are you?"

He spit some of his espresso onto the table in a small brown pool. "No, what the hell gave you that idea?!"

"I mean she did have a crush on you at one point, and she is kind of young for you so…."

"No!" he yelled, drawing the attention a few curious bystanders. "She's more like a sister to me anyways."

"Ok fine and I know you can't be attached to Angeline, since…." Since she and Rose were, so alike it was not even funny. However, at least Rose was more mature, whereas Angeline redefined being irresponsible.

"It doesn't matter who I'm attached to, all that matters is that I need your advice about what to do."

She furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "It's just kind of hard to think of as serious about a girl, unless…no wait, you can't really be…" Her brown eyes widen like saucers in recognition.

"It's exactly what you're thinking so go ahead and tell me I'm an idiot." He just wanted to bury his head in his hands.

Rose smiled slightly. "I'm not going to say that, and if it's any consolation when we talked in Vegas, she might have mentioned that you were 'hot for a Moroi'." She held up a hand before he could respond. "I mean when Lissa mentioned that you were frantic to find her, I just figured that you guys were friends, but I didn't think that…hell, you really don't do anything half-way."

Adrian sighed. "I guess not."

"And I think that if anyone could get away with breaking their 'friend' out, and defying age old taboos, it would be you." She gently squeezed his hand and stood, gathering up her scarf, and left, walking out the door more confidently than when she walked in.

For a moment, he felt the darkness he struggled so hard to suppress that he accomplished nothing and Sydney was forever lost to him. Just then, he noticed a small envelope that was the size of his hand. Gently, he broke the seal, and opened the envelope. It contained the floor plans of the facility where Sydney was imprisoned, two fake driver's licenses for Aaron and Tristan Marrow, airline tickets for the two brothers, and genuine fake Alchemist papers citing our reasons. Damn, Abe had come through with what he promised after all. Moreover, getting endorsement of the plan from Rose was great too.

He pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a number that had become familiar to him over the past few days. "Juarez, it looks like I'm going to need you to drive me home after all."

Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot and please read and review.


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